Lifting and carrying device for turkeys



April 30, 1957 E. E. SMITH 2,790,585

LIFTING AND CARRYING DEVICE FOR TURKEYS Filed Nov. 12, 1954 IN VEN TOR. EAEL E E. 5/14/7 15 2,790,585 LIFTING AND CARRYING DEVICE FOR TURKEY'S Earle E. Smith, Ludlow, Mass, assignor of one-fourth to John Macauley, Springfield, Mass. Application November 12, 1954, Serial No. 468,386 2 Claims. (Cl. 224-45) This invention relates to an improved holder for lifting and carrying a roast turkey or the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a more efficient and practical device which is capable of being manufactured at relatively low cost, is easily disassembled for cleaning, is applicable to turkeys of ditferent sizes, is equipped with means preventing slippage of the turkey while it is being carried, is portable either by grasping the ends of a spit component or by using a removable bail component.

Other objects will appear from the following description, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a device according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 33 of Figure l; and

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the device, showing the spit component applied to a roast turkey.

The illustrated holder comprises a spit component 9 which is an elongated straight rod 10 of any desired cross section, said rod being of stout, rigid material so as to resist bending. The rod 10, for a substantial part of its length, is formed with a roughened surface 12 to prevent slippage of the turkey after the same has been impaled by the rod. At its opposite ends, the rod 10 is threaded as at 14, to receive globular hand knobs 16 of skeletal form, having circumferentially spaced openings 18 tapering toward their opposite ends. Extending axially of each of the globular knobs 16 is a tubular core 20 having an axial threaded bore 22 receiving the adjacent threaded end portion 14 of the rod, whereby to permit the knobs to be fixedly but removably connected to the ends of the rod.

The axial bore 22 of each knob 16 opens through a circular boss 24 fixed on the inner end of the knob, and the boss 24 has a fiat inner end 25 lying in a plane normal to the axis of the rod 10.

Adapted to engage the inner ends 25 of the bosses 24 are flat, relatively thin Washers 26 having center openings receiving the ends of the rod 10. The washers 26 are of soft rubber material or other resilient material, so as to frictionally grip the rod while at the same time being adjustable longitudinally of the rod to selected locations along the length thereof. The outer ends 27 of the washers 26 are each formed with a. circumferential series of leaf springs 28 projecting laterally therefrom and embracing the peripheries of the bosses 24 when springs 28 being adapted to engage the adjacent boss 24 when the washers 26 are not in use.

If desired, the spit component 9 can be used alone. One end of the rod 10 can be sharpened to facilitate its insertion through the turkey T to the position shown in Figure 4. In any event, the rod 10 is inserted longitudinally of the turkey just below the breast bone, whereby the turkey will be properly supported in a depending position from the roughened midlength portion of the rod. After the rod has been inserted, that one of the knobs 16 which was removed to enable insertion of the rod is replaced, together with its associated washer 26.

The washers 26 can then be adjusted longitudinally of To the rod, out of engagement with the bosses 24, so as to 2,790,585 Patented Apr. 30, 1957 abut against the ends of the turkey where the rod projects from the turkey. This prevents slippage of the turkey longitudinally of the rod, in cooperation with the serrations or roughening 12.

The knobs 16 can then be grasped, and the turkey readily lifted as from a roasting pan to a platter.

When desired, a removable lifting bail handle, generally designated 30, can be used instead of the knobs 16 for lifting the turkey. The bail handle 30 comprises a single length of rod material bent to provide a straight bight portion 32 merging at its opposite ends into downwardly diverging, straight legs 36 terminating at their lower, divergent extremities in hooks 38 engageable under opposite end portions of the rod 10 in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 2. A cylindrical, axially bored grip 34 is applied to the bight portion 32 to facilitate the use of the bail handle. The bail handle, after the rod 10 has been extended through the turkey in the manner shown in Figure 4, is hooked onto the rod 10, and the bail grip 34 can now be grasped for the purpose of lifting the turkey.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a turkey holder, an elongated straight spit rod having a threaded end portion, a knob threaded on and adjustable along said threaded end portion and having an axially inward end, a boss fixed on the inward end or" the knob and surrounding the rod, said boss having an axially inward end and a periphery, a resilient washer circumposed on and frictionally engaged on the rod inwardly of the inward end of the boss and adjustable along the rod toward and away from the inward end of the boss, said washer having an axially outward end, and circumferentially spaced leaf springs projecting from the outward end of the washer and sometimes releasably embracing the periphery of the boss.

2. In a turkey holder, an elongated straight spit rod having threaded end portions, knobs threaded on and adjustable along said threaded end portions, said knobs having axially inward ends, bosses fixed on said inward ends and surrounding the rod, said bosses having inward ends, resilient washers circumposed on said rod inwardly of the inward end of the bosses and frictionally engaged on the rod for adjustable positioning toward and away from the inward ends of the bosses, said washers having axially outward ends and said bosses having peripheries, and circumferentially spaced leaf springs on and projecting from the outward ends of the washers, said leaf spring sometimes releasably embracing the peripheries of the bosses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,215,608 Anderson Feb. 13, 1917 1,527,766 Wellman Feb. 24, 1925 1,741,400 Bocchino Dec. 31, 1929 2,128,429 Olson Aug. 30, 1938 2,234,441 Ludwig Mar. 11, 1941 2,587,133 Finizie Feb. 26, 1952 2,606,526 Lound Aug. 12, 1952 2,654,307 Nisenson Oct. 6, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,990 Great Britain "Mu"-.. Mar. 22, 1886 

